


Explain yourself

by FallingPetalsGlowingHeart



Category: Strictly Come Dancing RPF
Genre: F/M, Gio ur in my bad books, Ranvir deserves the world, but u messed up here babe, but we knew that, even though I love u
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29333028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingPetalsGlowingHeart/pseuds/FallingPetalsGlowingHeart
Summary: The aftermath of *that* article
Relationships: Giovanni Pernice/Ranvir Singh
Comments: 39
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Letting out my anger at that article via queen Ranvir xx
> 
> Taking what Giovanni said (even though a solid 40% of me doesn’t buy it) and writing them as friends. Not easy when they’re so good at acting and remaining in character in every interaction we’ve seen between them :)
> 
> And this fic isn’t that serious. I’m not actually *that* mad, but I’m not happy either.

Ranvir heard her phone buzz and read the message

‘ _Hey can you talk? X_ ’ from Giovanni 

She smiled as she read it, she missed all the time they spent with eachother across the end of last year, and, while of course they were still in contact, a few messages here and there understandably wasn’t the same as hours together in a training room everyday.

‘ _yeah sure :) xx_ ’ she typed back

‘ _What’s up_ ’ she starting typing a second message but before she could send it her phone started ringing with a FaceTime from the dancer, which she promptly answered.

“Hiya” she grinned, very happy to see his face, making her tone very bubbly. But within a couple of seconds she noticed how nervous he looked, rubbing the back of his neck and not properly looking at his phone. She felt a twinge of nerves and was worried about what was causing him to act this way.

“I need to talk to you about something” he mumbled.

“Right... what?” But he didn’t answer as he didnt know where to start, “You seem really wound up about something Giovanni, pleasejust tell me”

“So basically I do this interview earlier. Just quickly on the phone, PR set it up you know, and I just see the article...”

“Ok...”

“I’ll just send it to you” he had a lump in his throat as he talked, unbelievably nervous for her reaction, knowing this wasn’t gonna go over well.

Ranvir got the link sent through and her stomach instantly dropped when she read the headline “ **Strictly star Giovanni Pernice admits there’s ‘absolutely no way’ he’ll date Ranvir Singh** ”. He saw as her face fell, biting the inside of his cheek and twisting the ring on his little finger and he went to speak

“Ranvi listen”

“Just be quiet a minute” she whispered sternly as she skim read the article.

“ **No, no, no, no, no** ”

She knew they were friends, she knew they wouldn’t be more than that, but the words still stung to read.

“ **Again, I’m single, absolutely there’s no way. We are very very good friends** ,” 

“ **Absolutely no way** ” she kept reading it over and over. Absolutely. No. Way. Why had he had to be so harsh?

She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself, and finally looked at him in the phone, he was clearly apprehensive of her reaction.

“It’s really not what I mea-“

“What the fuck?” She interrupted him flatly, her emotions getting the better of her. She didn’t want to hear his excuses right now. She took a few steps back from the phone and began walking round the room as she spoke. Her tone was angry but she couldn’t raise her voice too loud incase she was overheard. “Seriously? Couldn’t have let me down nicely could you? For fucks sake Giovanni you know newspapers already have this stupid bloody narrative that I’m this poor old spinster who’s in love with you while you’re way out of my league”

“But You know none of that’s actually true” he said softly, but very timidly as her rising anger was pretty scary.

“Look you are out of my league but I’m fine with that. You’re fucking thirty, I’ve always said it would be a bloody miracle if something happened. Yet of course they still have this stupid idea of ‘poor ranvir’ and no doubt this won’t help.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean it like that” he interjected but she just continued ranting.

“For gods sake, i do nothing but praise you in the media and you can’t do the same back? No instead there’s ‘absolutely no way’ you’d ever feel that way about me. Cheers for that. Trust me I get it, I’ve been single for years, I’m fully aware of noone being interested-“

“Stop it!” He yelled down the phone, snapping her out of her angry ramble and she finally stopped and looked at the phone again. “Stop saying those things! You know I say plenty of nice things about you all the time. Just this one time they ask a quick question about you and I wasn’t prepared.” His volume had lowered back to normal. “I panic when they ask, so this ‘no no no no’ was quick , panicked tone. Not strong denial but an overeaction because I didn’t know what to say. I Knew they’d want an answer and I had to say something but I just wanted them to move on quickly.”

“Doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.” Ranvir’s voice had gone shakey as tears started to sting her eyes. While she was fully aware of her friendship status with Giovanni, she didn’t need the whole country knowing he was seemingly so disgusted by the idea of dating her. How had he spent months building her confidence up only to turn round and act like this?

“I know and I’m so so sorry.” His genuine apology was clear in his voice - a clear sense of regret. “And this is why I call you as soon as I see it. I need you to hear from me that it’s not what I meant.” He held his hand over his heart, conveying his sincerity.

“That’s not what the papers are gonna think though.” She sniffed. While she knew tabloids spouted rubbish constantly she still hated how they portrayed her.

“I know I know,” he pensively ran his hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry. This new PR, they tell me to put some space between us, so newspapers stop writing articles every time we interact.”

“Yeah I get that but”

“But I did it all wrong.” He finished the sentence for her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh turns out I wasn’t done

Ranvir wiped away the tears that had started to fall and took three deep breaths.

”right.” She said bluntly. “I need you to listen to me now.” She tucked her hair behind her ear as she spoke.

”ok” he nodded hurriedly, desperate to fix the situation.

”did you stop for a second and actually think how any of this would make me feel?” Her question was partly genuine and partly rhetorical. She didn’t even know if she wanted the answer, even though it was pretty clear to her what that was.

”I-“ he went to begin but she hadn’t finished speaking.

”you don’t need to answer because clearly the answer is no.” He looked super guilty, unable to bring himself to make eye contact through the screen. Ranvir shook her head in disappointment and frustration. “The whole ‘absolutely not’ is one thing. ok you panicked and went too over the top, sure. It made me feel absolutely shit, but clearly you didn’t consider that.” She could feel herself getting heated again, “Because you only care about your own image as a hot single guy.” She lashed out at him, and Giovanni would be lying if it said it hadn’t stung. “ Honestly I don’t blame you for not wanting me attached, weighing you down.”

“you know I don’t think that”

”who am I to stand in the way of you and some hot instagram model?” She rolled her eyes. “But saying it’s all acting? Really? Realllly?? How the fuck do you think that makes me feel? That all the kindness you gave me and the way you tried to build me up was all for show? Do you understand the level of vulnerability I gave you, and that I don’t do that for anyone. There’s so many things I told you that I’d kept in for so bloody long. Because I trusted you. Well that was a flipping mistake. I know winning’s important to you but I didn’t realise everything between us was a lie for you to succeed.”

”No Ranvi, please”

”frankly I don’t want to hear it. I really thought we had something special, this deep connection. Yes as friends, clearly as friends. But obviously you had other fucking ideas.” And she hung up the call.

Giovanni put the phone face down on the kitchen counter he’d been leaning against and put his head in his hands. What had he done? How had he messed up this badly? Ranvir may just be his friend but she was still so important to him. She’d helped him grow into a better teacher and better person. And all the ways he comforted her weren’t lies, he meant everything he said to her in the competition and now one interview had twisted his words and ruined all of that. After a few minutes he picked up the phone again and started typing out a message, wanting to do whatever he could to prove his apology.

Meanwhile, after hanging up Ranvir threw her phone down lightly on her bed, not wanting to deal with anything to do with him right now. She knew him so well, or so she’d thought, that she knew he’d be instantly messaging her back and trying to talk to her again. But she didn’t want to hear it. Unfortunately for him his own work on her confidence backfired in that she now was aware of her self worth. She knew she deserved to be treated better than that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At least Ranvir knows she’s a queen


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t leave it there could I?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jesus Christ it’s hard writing these 2 as friends  
> I just want them to admit their love for each but if Gio says they’re just friends then I guess that’s the case
> 
> Even though Gio’s gonna try and make amends he’s still very much in my bad books irl

3 hours later and Ranvir finally went back to her bedroom to collect her phone. She’d spent the afternoon helping Tushaan with school work, and her sweet little boy made it very easy to forget all the drama with Giovanni.   
She instantly remembered, however, when she looked at her phone.

_11 missed calls from Giovanni_  
_3 voice mails  
_ _8 messages_

She rolled her eyes, did he really think he could make it up to her? For god’s sake they’d spent weeks together, learning so much about each other, being so close. They had such a strong connection, a strong friendship. A connection that only a situation like Strictly could bring about, where it was all about lifting each other up. It felt like he’d believed in her more than anyone else had before.  
And then he did that. Said that. Waited 2 months after the show had ended to tell the world it was all lies and the idea of her repulsed him.

Or at least that’s what it had felt like to her.

What a dick head.

But she figured she might as well read the messages he sent her. After all it had been hours.

_14:18 “Ranvir I’m so so so sorry”_

_14:18 “Please talk to me”_

_14:26 “I’m begging you, see it from my point of view”_

‘Of course, thinking about himself again’ she thought to herself, ‘absolute knob’

_  
14:35 “I didn’t mean it like that, it was all a misunderstanding, I was misquoted”_

_14:47 “please just answer me”_

_15:04 “I care so much about u, it worries me u wont answer”_

_15:11 “im so sorry”_

_15:39 “I know u need time to think”_

Deep down she knew he meant his apology but she still couldn’t believe him. 

Hesitantly she opened her voice mail and played the first message, from 14:19.

” _Ranvi, please please I’m so sorry_ ” she could hear his voice was shakey, like he’d been crying or was holding back tears, and it hurt Ranvir to hear him like this, because as much as she hated him right now, she couldn’t help the part of her that cared for him dearly too. “ _You know how important you are to me. Nothing I’ve said to you has been lies. I’m so proud of how you grow, every week becoming more and more confident. That wasn’t acting! Only the dance, which we know, you know, isn’t real. But everything else was real. Maybe I should say in the interview, ‘dancing is acting but outside of that we are very good friends so very close’. Because that’s the truth. And I don’t want to lose that. I dont want to lose you.” End of message._

She sighed deeply. What was the truth? Maybe he had just got in a muddle and blurted out something he didn’t mean. She knew better than anyone that the press could twist things. After all half their actions in Strictly had been taken out of context and turned into tabloid gossip.

But still this was different. Because he had said those things. He’d said “ _absolutely there’s no way_ ”. Those words cut like a knife. _Absolutely_. As in completely, totally. As much as she knew they were just friends she’d never rule anything out so firmly. She couldn’t help her mind wandering- why was he so sure?

Hands shaking she decided to press play on the second message. From 14:49.

_”Look I know you don’t want to speak to me. It’s obvious. But I really need you to know I’m sorry. Being partnered with you was such a big blessing, the last thing I want is to throw that away. Look at all the dances we performed. Stunning. I can’t wait to dance with you again. I even say that in the stupid fucking article. Argh honestly why did I even do that stupid thing. But it’s not about me. I just need you to know how sorry I am. Even if you won’t forgive me”_

Ranvir couldn’t help the small smile that crept across her face as she remembered the dances. The elegant waltz, the emotional Viennese waltz, hell even that bloody jive. If he wasn’t a true friend he wouldn’t have been so kind and supportive that semi final week when she was sure she couldn’t do it.   
  


She didn’t want to listen anymore, she needed to talk to him. She pressed FaceTime and waited nervously while the phone rang.

”Ranvi!” He exclaimed. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you, did you get my messages, are you ok?”

”yes, and yes” she was trying to figure out her words.

He walked through his flat to his bedroom and shut the door behind him, laying on his bed. “Please talk to me.”

”ok. I’m first gonna say this. I know my worth. And I know I’m worth more than being talked about like that. The ironic thing of course is that you’re the one who helped me figure that all out to begin with.” She chuckled slightly, and lord was he happy to hear her laugh. “But I know you’re sorry. What even was that Giovanni? That’s not you, not the you I spent 8 weeks training with, not the you with a heart of gold.”

”I don’t know what happened honestly. I just panic. I just had the voice of the PR people in my head telling me to make distance, but I should’ve listened to my own brain.”

”yeah you really should’ve because what you’ve created is a PR disaster.” She giggled, sticking her tongue out slightly as she smiled.

”Ah shit,” he said smiling back. “I’m so happy to see that beautiful smile again.”

”I’m not finished. I’m also sorry. I overreacted and got so fired up at you. But you’re messages were right. We had, have, such a special thing together. And I can’t wait to dance with you again... which I can’t do if I’m mad at you.”

”don’t be silly. You had every right to yell at me. I was a fucking idiot.”

”I mean you’re not wrong.”

”exactly. If I could go back and change what I said I would. I never want to hurt you. Like I say, I’ve been on that show 6 years and yours is the most special journey to me. The last thing I want is to throw that away.”

”I don’t want to throw it away either... but you are a fucking idiot sometimes.”

”i know. Speaking of... you may be getting quite a few deliveries this week. I had to do anything I could to get you to forgive me after all ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this is a good ending
> 
> Every time I wrote friends I’m like ~vom~. It’s just not right is it?
> 
> At least writing this has made me less angry at G.  
> Though I still call BS.

**Author's Note:**

> I gotta say I LOVE the reaction on twitter and noone buying it. We see u Pernice and a LOT doesn’t add up. But sure babe whatever you say.
> 
> This whole thing has been a great distraction from shitty pandemic life so I’m gonna keep it up as long as possible thank u very much.  
> A little bit of escapism (all be it fantasy now) never hurt anyone.  
> So I’m so grateful to see continuing fics  
> Long Story Short will probably continue in some capacity but I’m gonna slightly change the original plan


End file.
